Kunshan's biggest investment project in traffic infrastructure construction welcomed a crucial moment yesterday. Without causing problems to traffic, a steel box girder bridge weighing over 1,500 tons and measuring 150 meters long was moved by a lift jack from the north Shanghai-Nanjing expressway to the south, where it was finally settled at two bridge piers linking the north and south side of the expressway. It became a major part of the west viaduct of the expressway.

To ensure smooth traffic flow when renovating the bridge, builders decided to push the steel box girder bridge by a lift jack. Xu Haifeng, manager of the renovation project, said that the advantage of such a pushing method is in its limited impact on public traffic. Heavy lifting equipment and large facilities were not required.

Yesterday, when correspondents arrived at the construction site in the morning, builders were busy preparing for the lift jack. The steel box girder bridge had already been put on trestles. Traffic was still busy on the expressway.

The steel box girder bridge, which covers the west Shanghai-Nanjing expressway, is 150 meters in length and 22 meters in width. It was the first time that such pushing technology had been used. The pushing process is divided into three stages and will be finished in September.